Angie’s List Switching to Freemium Model: No More Subscriptions Required for Reviews

Here’s the latest news on Angie’s List: the local business
reviews site will be taking down its paywall, making its ratings and reviews
available to
all online visitors, instead of just those with memberships. The site, which
is mainly focused on the home services sector, announced its switch to
a freemium model yesterday, according to
USA Today. Angie’s List President and CEO, Scott Durchslag, said he expects
the change to result in a dramatic surge in traffic and reviews on the site.

Under the new tiered structure, which will launch this summer, the free
version will make Angie’s List’s reviews and ratings available
to everyone and will show display ads. Users will also have the option
to upgrade to a premium silver subscription at $24.99 or a gold subscription
at $99.99, according to the USA Today article. These subscriptions will
included added features, such as an emergency service hotline and fair
price guarantees.

What Does This Mean for Your Business?

So what’s the big deal about Angie’s List doing away with the
paywall, anyway? Well, no paywall means more people will be reading their
reviews, which could include reviews for
your services. Do you know what people are saying about your home service business
on Angie’s List? Are you ready for that kind of exposure? If not,
then it’s time start cracking down with a strategy for monitoring
and managing your reviews, not only on Angie’s List, but on other
sites as well. Online reputation management is an important part of your
home services marketing.

As a contractor, plumber, roofer, or other type of home services provider,
you have probably seen the power of online reviews. You may have seen
how one glowing review posted about you online can bring in several new
calls and appointments. Or you may have seen the opposite – how
negative ratings and reviews can hurt your company’s reputation
and drive potential customers away.

If you don’t think online reviews matter, just look at these stats
from BrightLocal:

92% of consumers read online reviews.

80% of people who read online reviews trust them at the same level as personal
recommendations (as long as the reviews meet a few basic requirements).

68% of consumers say they trust a business more when it has positive reviews.

Managing Your Online Reputation & Getting More Customers

So, how can you attract more business from online reviews? It starts with
being proactive with your reviews instead of ignoring them.

Keep all your review site listings up-to-date with accurate information
about your business.

Regularly monitor your reviews and respond to them quickly and courteously.

Use feedback from negative reviews to improve your customer service as needed.

Train your staff on how to deliver not just great work, but excellent customer
service, too.

And here’s another point to consider—along with managing your
online reviews, you should also make sure you have strong website in place.
Another finding from BrightLocal’s survey was that 48% of people
visit a business's website after reading a positive review for that
business. If you do have positive reviews, you will want to keep the momentum
going by having a site that will impress your visitors and convince them
to call you over your competitors.

With the right strategy, you can turn online reviews into a money maker
for your home service business. You just need to know the right steps
for taking control of your online reputation.

Travis Carter is the Vice President of Sales at Scorpion. As the former president of a home improvement and flooring company in Ohio for many years, Travis is passionate about ensuring that home services companies have the online marketing campaigns they need to stay ahead of the digital curve.
Travis loves the creative process, whether its film concepts, dancing, acting, or singing – he’s an entertainer at heart! He even had a record deal in high school as part of a boy band. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and 7 kids…yes, 7!